I wait for you I watch for you My whole life is you!
by ggfan78
Summary: A different take to the shooting... just a thought! Let me know what you think!
1. Chapter 1

Olivia and Eddison had just gotten out of the car when the President and First Lady arrived. Olivia panicked, she had thought that she bought enough time to miss his entrance so she wouldn't have to see him, but an argument with Mellie had delayed them. As Fitz turned to wave at the crowd his eyes fell on her, the pain in his eyes tore at her soul as he Edison's arm was wrapped around her waist. As Olivia looked away something had caught her eye from the window in the building across. She gasped horrified and looked to Tom and yelled,

"Gun," and just as she did shots were fired. Instinctively Olivia who was close enough to Fitz knocked him to the ground with her whole body, not caring for her own life and wanting nothing more than to have him safe."

Tom and Hal not far away surrounded Olivia and the President immediately ready to put him back into the car till it was safe. Mellie had been shoved into a car by her own secret service detail. Tom saw the blood and gave the president a once over in sheer panic,

"Mr President are you hurt?" Fitz shook his head and looked to Liv in horror, if the blood wasn't him it could only mean one thing,

"Livvy!" He cried out as she lay there with gun shot wounds,

"I'm fine. Hal, Tom take him."

"I'm not leaving you here," Fitz said in panic,

"Sir we have to go." Tom insisted as the paramedics came to work in Olivia.

"I'm fine, Go Fitz. Please!" She begged uncertain of where the shooter was and if they were done. Fitz was about to argue but nodded conceding. He grabbed hold of her hand and gave it a squeeze. Olivia looked right into his eyes,

"I'm sorry." She uttered weakly but meaningfully. She was apologizing for pushing him away, for letting him let her go so that she could seemingly live a life without him. It all seemed so pointless at that point.

"Oh Liv, I'm sorry." Before he could say anything further Olivia closed her eyes,

"No no! Liv," Fitz yelled. It took all of Tom and Hal's physical strength to take him shove him in a car. As soon as he was in the car he raged,

"Take me back to her, I can't just leave her there to die. Please!" He begged,

"Mr President, you know we can't do that. Your safety comes first. Don't let your feelings make what she did be in vain." Tom knew it was a low blow but it would have been the only thing that would make him stop. Fitz took in a deep breath and grabbed his chest unable to breathe for a moment.

"I want to be with her Tom. I want to be at the hospital. Make that happen."

"Of course Sir. But for now we have to take you back to the White House so you can address the public."

"Is she?"

"They've just put her in the ambulance and taking her to the hospital. Mr Beene is with her. He's going to make sure she's fine and then he'll meet you at the White House."

Cyrus's heart dropped to his feet as he saw Olivia push Fitz out of the way, he watched they both fell to the ground. He saw the panic in Eddison's eyes, the confusion in Fitz's. it felt like he was watching it all in slow motion. Though he and Olivia have had a rough patch in the last year, they had finally worked through them and were certainly on their way back to the dynamic duo they once were. The late night visits to her apartment and coffee dates had strengthened their wavering relationship. He had always loved Olivia, she was his protege and the closest thing to a daughter he was ever going to have. The possibility of losing her was worse than he could ever imagine. He could only guess what kind of state Fitz was in, and though he wanted to be with him, he needed to be with Olivia. He had sent for Olivia's parents, hoping that they hadn't seen it on the news. The footage that they kept playing was Olivia shoving Fitz to ground, thankfully whatever the exchange was between them was covered by Tom and Hal as they, along with several other Secret Service men surrounded the president and Olivia. Cyrus knew that Fitz was going to address the nation and the moment he was finished he would demand to be taken to Olivia. Till then he prayed that Fitz was able to keep himself together.


	2. Chapter 2

**OH MY WORD! Your response has been AMAZING! You totally blew me away! I love reading your reviews so please keep them coming…in the meantime I hope you enjoy Chapter Two.**

Olivia was in and out of consciousness as they travelled the ten minutes it took to the hospital. Her mind kept reverting back to Fitz, and everything that had been through. There was no denying that she loved him, and that he loved her, right or wrong, they loved each other with such intensity that breath was almost dependent on the other.

"_You didn't have to," he said as Olivia pinned the American Flag she had bought at an auction for him to his jacket. _

"_I know, its your inauguration day. I wanted to give you something special." She said swallowing the lump on her throat. As proud as she was of him, as happy as she was that he won, it meant it was the beginning of the end for them. _

"_You're my something special." Fitz replied tightening his arms around her waist. _

Olivia's heart had melted at his words, knowing that he meant them. To him all that mattered was that they were together. No matter what the risk, no matter what the cost, but she wanted more for him than that. She didn't want him to be in the middle of a scandal. In truth she wanted more for her, and them than that. She didn't want to tarnish his potential for greatness. She didn't want their lives to be tarnished with the label of sexual scandal. It wasn't about sex, though that was great. It was their understanding of each other, the fact that they were partners, they were equals, most of all they were friends in every sense of the word. She was his closest counsel. As great as Cyrus was, it was Liv he trusted wholeheartedly.

Fitz found himself pacing in the Oval Office awaiting to address the nation. He stopped as he realized that he was pacing in circles.

"_What's wrong?" he asked as he approached her in the Rose Garden. She had been avoiding him since Camp David, and he knew it was because it was getting harder and harder for her to fight her conscience. He had noticed that she had been finding it difficult to be in the same room as Mellie, to look at her in the eye or just engage in any form of communication with her. The pain in her face earlier in the hallway haunted him, and then she threw the Hemmings and Jefferson reference at him and as mad and as hurt as he was, he was also horrified that she would compare them and what they had to that. _

"_You pace in circles when something is wrong. When you're just thinking it's back and forth, but when something is wrong, it's circles."_

"_Did you need something Mr President?"_

"_See, you used to sound sexy when you called my Mr President. Now it just sounds like I'm a gym teacher" he replied somewhat sadly,_

"_Did you need something?" Olivia repeated clearly frustrated. _

"_The Sally Hemmings and Thomas Jefferson comment was below the belt."_

"_Because it's so untrue," Fitz looked at her in disbelief,_

"_You're playing the race card on the fact that I am in love with you?" Olivia scoffed, _

"_Come on. Don't belittle us. It's insulting and beneath you, and designed to drive me away, and I'm not going away," he said determinedly_

"_I don't have to drive you away. You're married, you have children, you're the leader of the free world. You are away. By definition, you are away, you are unavailable."_

"_So this is about Mellie?"_

"_No, this is…" Olivia paused trying to find the words, _

"_I smile at her and take off my clothes for you. I wait for you, I watch for you. My whole life is you. I can't breathe because I am waiting for you. You own me. You control me. I belong to you."_

Fitz's deep thought was interrupted by a knock on the door. Tom popped his head in to let him know that they were ready for him to address the nation. He nodded, the quicker her put the nations mind at ease, the quicker he could be by her bedside. As impossible as that seemed, he was going to find a way to make it happen. Consequences be damned, and even then as that thought entered his mind he could almost feel Olivia scold at him. He looked heaven bound and prayed that she be okay, that she would hold on. That he would get to her in time. That he wouldn't lose her.

Cyrus watched Fitz address on the TV in the waiting room. He had offered to come back to the White House to get him through it, but Fitz wanted someone to be there for Liv till her parents got there, though if he were honest with himself having Cyrus there meant that he would always know what was going on. Cyrus had called him just before the address to assure him, that for now Liv was okay and that they were working on her. That the best thing he could do for Olivia was be the best president she knows him to be.

Cyrus stood in the waiting room with Olivia's team of Gladiators currently on stand down till they knew what was to come of their fearless leader. Stephen who had been watching the news dropped a glass of wine on the floor as they played the footage of his best friend throw herself in front of a moving bullet for the man she loved. It was all a blur from there. Georgia somehow managed to put him on a plane, and on the other side a crestfallen Abby was there to pick him up. She flew into his arms the moment he came into full view.

"I've been such an ass to her, what if she dies?" she asked looking into his eyes begging him to make it better.

"Abby, this is Liv. She's going to come out from this. She's the most stubborn and pigheaded person in the world." He said trying to reassure her. A part of him was furious at Olivia for what she did, regardless how noble.

Senator Davies was also there, still in a state of shock. Unable to fathom what had just transpired. That she had so willingly and instinctively took a bullet for the president. Though they had only just started their relationship again and she was still clearly guarded and hesitant, he didn't want to lose her.

Olivia's parents were frantic as they walked into the emergency room with their twelve year old daughter Ellie whom Olivia loved and adored. The Pope family were extremely close, and Olivia spoke with them daily. In her world of madness, they were the window to the normal she longed to have.

"Stephen," Eunice Pope cried out heading straight into his arms.

"Hey Aunt E, this is Liv, she's going to be fine." He said trying to reassure her as he hugged her tightly.

Olivia and Stephen had been inseparable since childhood in large part due to their parents who were lifelong friends. Cyrus walked up to them and began to fill them in on her progress. As he recounted the story, and from what they had seen on the news and heard on the radio, an elephant remained unspoken in the room, to which was, what possessed her to jump in front of a bullet for the president, a question only Cyrus and Stephen knew the real answer to.


	3. Chapter 3

Olivia suffered multiple gun shot wounds, one of them in particular just missed her heart, while the others though not as seriously located had done their own damage. While they repaired one wound, another would begin to bleed out. It was a long night.

Cyrus knew that there was no point in trying to get everyone to go home and rest. They were all there for the duration. However it did make the President's presence a little harder to conceal. He tried to keep Fitz at bay till she was at least out of surgery, but he knew that was also futile.

Abby placed a hand on Stephen's arm as the Secret Service began to sweep the floor. She had noticed that their floor had become emptier and emptier throughout the night. Abby may have not known what was going on, but Stephen knew. He knew exactly was going on. He took a deep breath as he looked around the room, her parents, Eddison, the Gladiators, all oblivious to the love affair that consumed not only Olivia, but the President of the United States. Somehow he doubted that the feelings that they have hidden for so long would continue to be masked. Only more questions were to come from his appearance. It was careless, stupid and Olivia would be furious but it only meant that Fitz truly loved her. Just as he always expected he did.

"Mr President." Michael Pope said in surprise standing to his feet, just as the rest of them did in the room.

"Please sit down, and it's Fitz. I am so sorry Mr and Mrs Pope. I am sorry that you are here because of me. That should be me on the table and not Olivia."

"Mr President, thank you for coming. There is no need for apologies. It's who Olivia is. Whether it had been you, or some random stranger in harms way, she'd throw herself in front of them first." Eunice replied as she took his hands in hers. She could see the guilt he felt, but there was something more than that. He loved her daughter, he may have been able to hide it from everyone else, but she saw right through him, just as Olivia always had. She gave his hands another squeeze as if to confirm that she knew and he nodded bowing his head in shame. For subjecting their daughter to an extra marital affair, and not giving her what she truly deserved which was all of him.

"Mr and Mrs Pope," the doctor said as he came into the waiting room. Fitz froze in place. The doctor looked exhausted as he took his cap off. Sensing Fitz's panic Eunice kept his hands in hers, for which he was grateful. Stephen tightened his arms around Ellie who was sitting on his lap.

"Ms Pope sustained multiple gun shot wounds. One in particular just missed her heart." There was an intake of breath in the whole room as he paused,

"There were many complications, and we lost Ms Pope not once but twice, but your daughter is a fighter, she pulled through the surgery, but she is not out of the woods. The trauma of her wounds, and the surgery that followed has taken a toll on her body. We had to close her up, but she will require further surgery when her body is up to it."

"So what are you saying Doctor?" Eunice asked,

"That your daughter is lucky to be alive, but the next twenty four hours are critical."

"Can we see her?" The Doctor was about to say immediate family only, but he knew that there would be no point. None of them would leave till they saw her.

"Immediate family first, and then everyone else can see her, but briefly. Then I would suggest you all go home and get rest. We will keep you posted if anything comes up." Everyone nodded dutifully. Ellie got up taking Stephen's hand he was immediate family to them.

"Mr President, would you like to join us?" Michael Pope offered. Fitz longed to see her, but knew his place.

"It's okay Mr Pope, you all go on ahead." Truth was Fitz was scared he would break down at the sight of his Livvy on a hospital bed. Stephen gave his arm a pat as he passed him. Their gaze locked. In normal circumstances he knew that Stephen wanted to strangle him, he was Liv's best friend and he was fiercely protective of her, but in that moment all he saw was compassion, and for that he was grateful.

Fitz stood with Cyrus in the corner trying to blend in, which was of course next to impossible when you're the leader of the free world. Eddison, who hadn't stopped staring at Fitz since he had walked in, finally stood to his feet.

"It was you." He said in quiet accusation. As though sensing an incredibly private moment was about to transpire the Gladiators took it upon themselves to vacate the room. Cyrus, stood back but did not leave the room.

"You were the one who hurt her so badly that she's completely shut down to any possibility with anyone else. She'd rather spend the rest of her life alone than entertain the possibility of being happy in any capacity." Fitz felt like he had been punched in the gut. All he saw was that she was moving on without him, and as unfair as it seemed, he didn't want her to. He wanted her to wait for him, and hearing Edison's words were made him see that what she had projected was so far from what was.

"I have worked so hard the last couple of months to even get as far as we are right now, and I can tell you that she's not all in regardless what she says, but I stayed because I had hoped that one day, she'll get there, and looking at you, and seeing the same sadness in your eyes that I have come to know as familiar in Liv, she'll never get there. She gave herself to you so wholeheartedly that she didn't leave enough for herself. So for the sake of her happiness, I'm going to bow out. I would have fought for her to the end, but I am giving you a chance to do right by her because she deserves a shot in happiness. Don't blow it." Edison said evenly looking right into Fitz's eyes. Fitz nodded unable to find the words. He sat down as he watched Senator Davies turned to leave. At the door he stopped,

"I would appreciate it if you keep me updated with her progress."

"Of course." Fitz promised gaining a whole new respect for Edison.

The Pope's along with Stephen returned shortly after allowing the Gladiators to have a chance to see her. By then everyone had figured out that Fitz was buying his time, accumulating courage to see her, to ensure that he didn't break down the moment he saw her. Highly unlikely but, he had to at least try. While Cyrus went with the Gladiators to see Liv, Michael and Eunice went downstairs to grab some coffee leaving Stephen, Ellie and Fitz alone in the waiting room.

Ellie who had been watching Fitz curiously all night stood from where she sat beside Stephen and walked across to where Fitz was and sat beside him. Surprised Fitz gave her a small smile,

"You must be Ellie. I'm Fitz. Your sister talks non stop about you," Ellie smiled back at him,

"You love my sister don't you?" Surprised Fitz stole a quick glance at Stephen who was equally floored, biting the bullet, he swallowed before answering,

"I do. I really do. She means the world to me."

"But you have a wife." Fitz's second sucker punch in only a half hour

"Eliana!" Stephen said in gentle admonishment, the kid had a point but it was still a tiny bit rude.

"It's ok." Fitz said to Stephen before re-addressing Ellie.

"That's true, I do have a wife, and I have kids. I can tell you it's complicated, and it is, but that sounds like a cop out even to my own ears. If you and I are going to be friends, and I hope to be, I have to be honest with you." At that very moment Michael and Eunice Pope entered the room, Fitz looked at them apologetically before proceeding.

"My wife and I got married very young, and though most people married for love, we married because it was what our parents wanted us to do. They had been planning our marriage since we were born, and they had plans on what would come out of that marriage, and one of them was becoming the president. My wife and I care about each other, and we have two amazing kids, but I never knew what love felt like till I met your sister. I had resigned myself to the fact that our relationship was the norm, and it was enough. Then I met your sister. From the moment we met there was a connection that neither one of us could explain, and regardless how hard she and I tried to avoid it, and run away from it, nothing worked. You know she ran my campaign for presidency right?" he asked, while she nodded,

"Well that meant we had to spend a lot of time together, and we made sure we always had people with us to avoid further complications, but in running my campaign, she became my closest confidant. She became my best friend. She knew without my having to say anything what I was thinking, and vice versa. We just got each other, and the more time I spent with her, the more I grew to love her in more than just 'my friend' kind of way, and it was the same for her. We didn't mean for it to happen, and we tried for it not to happen. I just wasn't strong enough. Your sister tried to do the right thing every chance she got," Fitz said again looking up to meet Michael and Eunice's gaze

"But I wouldn't let her. I couldn't. She is the love of my life, and whenever she wasn't near me, I couldn't breathe. It was like something was missing. If I were a better man, I would have let her go a long time ago." The tears pooled in his eyes as he looked down at his hands.

"She finally took that decision out of my hands when she left her resignation on my desk during my state of the union address. I didn't hear from her at all for over a year." He omitted the part where he had surveillance on her,

"It wasn't until I needed her help with a case a little while ago that I saw her again, and despite the time and distance apart, whatever we felt was still there. We were still drawn to each other, and she begged me to let her go, and though I fought her on it, I finally did a few weeks ago, to give her a chance at happiness knowing I couldn't give her what she deserves right now. But I have to tell you that letting her go, and seeing that look on her face when I finally did will be one of the things that will haunt me forever. I would give everything up to be with her, but she won't let me, because that's who your sister is. Something else is always more important. I'm lucky to have had her, and I'm sorry for having made her life more complicated." Fitz said regretfully looking back at her parents. Ellie took his hand in hers.

"She must love you for a reason, and that's enough for me. I know you love her, I can see how much it hurts for you not to be with her, but most of all I know that you would do anything for her, and that's all I need to know." Taken aback Fitz was speechless, as he looked at her he realized just how much of Olivia was in her, and at that moment, it brought him great comfort.

As the Gladiators headed back to the waiting room and make their way home Cyrus stayed behind with Olivia,

"Hey Kid, you need to come out of this okay? I can't do this without you. He won't survive this Liv. He can survive anything, but losing you is not one of them. He needs you. I need you. I know you and I have had our differences, and I am so sorry for disappointing you on so many levels. You're the daughter I never had Liv, and I need you to come out of this. Please Liv. Please." He dropped a kiss on her cheek and have her hand a squeeze.

When Cyrus had come out from seeing Olivia his eyes were red, and Fitz felt for him. Cy for all of his ruthlessness loved Olivia and it would devastate him to lose her.

"Sir, why don't you go in and see her?" Fitz nodded and stood to his feet. He looked at Ellie who just released his hand,

"You'll be fine. Just tell her everything you told me. She'll want to hear it. She loves you too." Grateful Fitz dropped his lips to Ellie's head,

"Thank you." He murmured before heading to Olivia's room followed closely by his security detail.

_**Hope you all enjoyed that. I wanted to kill many birds with one stone. Bye Edison! Coming out to the parents, etc… next chapter will be him seeing her so don't fret, it is coming. Thank you for all the support and encouragement. I am loving your input! Keep 'em coming!**_


	4. Chapter 4

Fitz walked to Olivia's hospital room slowly but determinedly. He tried to gather as much strength as he could so that when he saw her, he wouldn't fall apart, but nothing could prepare him for what he saw. She lay there hooked up to so many machines. She looked to tiny and fragile that his heart broke. His beautiful, strong and fierce Livvy was now fighting for her life, because of him. Despite how it all ended, she risked her life for him. She pushed him away so hard that he had started to doubt his meaning in her life, it's how he justified letting her go all those months ago.

"_**Where can this go? Really? Other than me joining the mile high club with you on air force one, how is there any future here?" Fitz saw the pain that tortured her behind her eyes. It was pain he put there. He loved her and it killed him to know that he hurt her, that everything he did recently only kept hurting her. **_

"_**Fine. We're done." He finally said resolved,**_

"_**What?" Olivia asked shocked, feeling as though someone had just punched her in the gut.**_

"_**I'm letting you go. That's what you want right? You'll go your way and I'll go mine. I'm married. I have children. I can't do this. It's not fair to you, to me, or Mellie. The country. I have to be responsible. Right?" his eyes begging her to tell him he was wrong. **_

"_**Right." She could barely breathe,**_

"_**Okay"**_

"_**Okay"**_

"_**Well, you order whatever you want. It's all being charged to me anyway." Olivia couldn't bring herself to look at him and watch him walk away from her. When he and his agents had vacated the restaurant, she broke down and sobbed. Verna was right.**_

Fitz took her hand in his and sat on the chair beside her. He brought her hands to his lips and willed for her to open her eyes so he could tell her how sorry he was, that he loved her, and that he never stopped loving her.

"Hey Liv, it's me. What were you thinking throwing yourself in front of harms way to protect me? Are you out of your mind? Don't you know I couldn't survive losing you? All this time apart, I honestly have just been going to through the motions. The look on your face when I told you we were done haunts me every night. Every time I close my eyes, that's all I see. I try to think of other memories, happier memories and they won't come. All I get is that look on your face. I know I hurt you by letting you go Liv, but I just couldn't keep hurting you the way I was. So I pulled the plug, but it doesn't mean I've stopped loving you. Loving you is only second to breathing, it's an essential. I don't know how do this without you so you fight you hear me, you fight. We will make this work. We will be together. I just need you to open your eyes please Liv, please."

Olivia could hear him, and as hard as she tried, she couldn't open her eyes. They were so heavy, and she was so tired. She wanted to tell him that she was sorry for pushing him away all those months ago, that all she seemed to be doing was pushing her away, as though she didn't know that she owned him, as much as he owned her.

"_**You own me! You control me, I belong to you. You think I don't want to be a better man? You think I don't want to dedicate myself to my marriage. You think I don't want to be honorable to the man you voted for? I love you. I'm in love with you. You're the love of my life. My every feeling is controlled by the look on your face. I can't breathe without you. I can't sleep without you. I wait for you, I watch for you. I exist for you. If I could escape all this and run away with you. There's no Sally or Thomas here. You're nobody's victim Liv. I belong to you. We're in this together."**_

She never told him about her talk with Mellie after she had found the pin. What she had said floored her, and she couldn't look at herself in the mirror. She couldn't continue what they had started because she didn't want to be that person who had affairs with married men, though what they had was different, that they loved each other, it didn't make what they were doing less wrong.

She knew that to him, she fled. That she didn't fight for them, that she never fought for them. That she was always pushing him away. For that she was sorry, because she doubted he knew just how much she truly loved and continues to love him.

Fitz who's head was bowed, with her hands on his cheek felt the slight movement in her fingers. His head shot up to look at her for any trace of consciousness uncertain if his tiredness and sheer will have imagined her tiniest movement, but as he looked up he saw her blink. Fitz stood to his feet,

"Come on Baby, open your eyes for me. Open them please Baby, please." He begged. Olivia turned her gaze to focus on him and tears began to flow from her eyes.

"Hey, hey, what's with the waterworks? You're okay, you're here. That's all that matters. I love you Liv. You scared the crap out of me." He stated with tears in his eyes,

"Why do you get to cry and I don't?" she said holding his cheek in her hand. There was no doubt she loved him, that she ached for him, but he wasn't hers. He may love her, but he wasn't hers to love.

"I'm so happy you're awake. What were you thinking Liv? Are you crazy? You could have died."

"I saw the gun, and I don't know. Everything else was unconscious. I just knew I didn't want anything to happen to you. You being okay was all that mattered. After everything, I needed you to know that I did, do love you. That I just didn't go on with my life as though we never existed. You're with me every day, and no matter how hard I tried to shake you I couldn't."

"Next time could you skip that putting yourself in harms way and just tell me?"

"When you threw your support behind Hollis, so Edison could become the majority leader, I knew we were done. That there was no going back." Pain resonated in her voice and it broke him.

"I wanted us to be done. For us to move on with our lives without all the strings that kept pulling us back to where we were, where we just kept hurting one another. I didn't want that for us. I thought if you had moved on with Edison, then I had to man up and accept that. I was the one who let you go at the restaurant. We have been through so much. My happiest memories are with you, and I wanted both of us to be able to hold on to that, and not all the bad memories of this year. I know I already incinerated a good portion of those happy memories when I screwed up with Amanda, and then at the forest. Liv, I'm so sorry. You didn't deserve any of that. I loved you, to me that's all that mattered. I understand now why you kept pushing me away, I guess deep down I always knew. You loved me so much that you didn't want me to compromise what we worked so hard for, for what I had wanted to do for so long. That only shows me now how much you love me, my reaction never showed you how much I loved you. I said it, but everything I did to keep you only showed how selfish I was. I was so blinded by how much I loved you, and how much I didn't want to lose you that I lost sight of everything else. What I never got to explain to you is that, as much as I love being president, it's not the same without you. You made me want it. You pushed me to be the man I needed to be to be president. All those agendas, they weren't mine they were ours. We made those plans together to change the world, and without you it was like I had the plan but no means to make it a reality, because you are the driving force. I know you think that I am made for greatness, and that may be true, but don't you think you were put in my life to make me great, and that without you, I don't know how to be great." Olivia brushed the hair away from his forehead and allowed him to go on,

"I can't do this without you. I don't want to, so please let me fight for us. Let me make this right. I know you think it'll cost my presidency, and honestly if it does, it does because if I keep going this way, I'm not going to be a very good president anyway. I am barely keeping it together as it is. I would rather go out standing tall than fail America because I couldn't function without you. I won't hide you Liv, those days are over. You are not my dirty little secret, you never were. You are the love of my life, and I want the world to know it."

"_**I love you. I'm in love with you too." **_

"_**So we're in this together,"**_

"_**Yes, we're in this together." **_


	5. Chapter 5

"I should really get your doctor." He said reluctantly not wanting to leave her side. Olivia nodded. Fitz kissed her on the forehead and then on the lips.

"I love you Olivia Pope." He said softly as his foreheads met with hers.

"I love you Fitzgerald Grant." She squeezed the hand that held hers as if to assure him that she was going to be okay, that she would still be there when he came back. Fitz stood by the door calling out to the nurse to let the doctor know that she was awake unable to bring himself to leave her room. Olivia inwardly chuckled.

"Miss Pope, it's good to see you awake. Mr President if we can ask you to step out so we can examine Miss Pope." Dr Manning, her surgeon greeted as he walked into her room.

"Fitz, it's okay. I'll be okay. Let the others know I'm okay." Hesitantly he nodded and left to announce to her family that she was awake.

"A tad over protective," Olivia said making light of the situation as though they weren't talking about the President, and to her, right then he wasn't the President, he was just Fitz, the man she loved.

"Trust me I know. He was been sitting in that waiting room the moment he assured the nation he was fine and assembled the biggest man hunt for whoever shot you."

"He does know he was the target right?" She said somewhat rhetorically.

"So what's the damage Doc? Because I have to tell you from where I'm lying down it feels like every part of my body is on fire."

"You suffered multiple gun shot wounds. One just missed your heart. One got you on the shoulder and the other hit your thigh. The one that hit your shoulder ricochet and nicked your lungs and a couple of your ribs. Needless to say you're going to be in some discomfort for awhile, as soon as your body is strong enough to sustain another surgery, we need to go back in there and finish up."

"That sounds like fun," she said dryly,

"Doctor," she said questioningly,

"That baby is fine for now, but I am concerned that carrying to full term is a risk to you. Your body is not strong enough to sustain you both,"

"Does anybody else know?" she asked praying they didn't.

"No. I have not disclosed your pregnancy. I wanted to wait till we spoke, and judging from the special circumstances of your relationship, it seemed the best option."

"Thank you. I want to keep this baby, no matter what the cost. Please help me to make sure that they are okay."

"Miss Pope, your life is equally important."

"I know that, but please." She begged.

"Okay,"

"And please, lets keep this between us."

"You know it's not something you can hide right?" Dr Manning said kindly,

"I know, as you can see this wasn't exactly a planned pregnancy and there are complications with our current set up." Olivia said somewhat self-conscious,

"Honey, there is no judgement here. That man loves you, and I can see how much you love him. To me that's all that matters." Olivia met Dr Manning's eyes and swallowed the lump in her throat, grateful. If only the rest of America would be so forgiving.

Pastor Drake's funeral was the turning point for Olivia. Up until that point, she was happy to take what she could get. The phone calls every night, though she protested in the beginning, had become the highlight of her day despite her best efforts to the contrary. After they way things had been handled to secure his presidency, working with Mellie, and literally slamming the door on the small window of a chance they had, she didn't think he would ever forgive her. She didn't think she could forgive herself. They were almost home free, and her better judgement listened to her conscience. So when he started calling, though she fought him on it, it brought her comfort. At the end of the day, he was still home and after everything, she still loved him.

After listening to Mellie, talk to the pastor's wife and seeing the devastation in Anna's face of the years lost, it broke her. She didn't want to be Anna. Fifteen years later with nothing to show for the love they shared, still not entitled to be recognized in his life, almost deprived of the opportunity to say her own goodbyes when the time came. It was too much.

Fitz saw the look on Olivia's face, and he could see the thoughts that ran through her head as they followed her Pastor's coffin in the procession as the service finished. The pain in her eyes as she tried to keep it together, and separate herself from it, but she couldn't. It was too close to home. After the funeral he had asked Tom and Hal to get the card ready, and when he arrived at her doorstep, and knocked on the door, it tore him apart to see that she looked like she had spent the better part of the day crying. Without waiting to be asked in, he entered and closed the door behind him and taking her face with his hands,

"Liv, sweetheart."  
"I can't be your Anna. I can't do this anymore. I don't want to do this anymore. I love you Fitz, I will always love you, but I don't want to be sixty and still be your mistress. I want more than that. I want Birthdays, Christmases, Graduations, I want to fight over who's turn it is to wash dishes or change a nappy. I can't do this anymore." She cried sitting down with her face in her hands,  
"You are the love of my life," Fitz declared,  
"And Mellie is your wife. You may love me, but it's her on your arm,"  
"We had our chance Liv," he reminded her,  
"You can't keep throwing that in my face Fitz. You can't, because if you really wanted to step away from being president, nothing Mellie or I could have done would have been able to stop you. I'm not saying it was the wrong decision, but I am saying you can't keep pinning that on me. It's not fair."  
"I love you. I just want to be with you. When I'm not with you, it's like everything shuts down. It's like I only remember to breathe when you're with me, all the other times it's like I'm holding my breath." He said tearfully as he knelt in front of her.  
"Please don't push me away. We'll find a way. I promise Liv, we'll find a way." As impossible as what he was proposing was, she couldn't deny him. She wanted him, as much as he wanted her. She needed him as much as he needed her. Fitz stood to his feet and held out his hand to her. She took it knowing where they were headed, and that night they pretended that there was a way, that they would find a way to be together. He held her tightly in his arms as he was spooned against her on her bed, unwilling to let her go till it was absolutely necessary. The whole time he held her, Olivia wept knowing there was no way it could work. When he kissed her goodbye a few hours later, she knew it would be the last time. When he called that evening, she didn't pick up, that night and every night after.

Olivia had found out only that afternoon when she came back to her doctor for results on her routine physical. She had advised her that she was pregnant and roughly how long, her math and the fact that she and Edison had not yet taken that step told her who her who her baby daddy was. She was so ready to bail on the Gala, but she had promised Edison she would go and she didn't want to disappoint him knowing that their end was just around the corner. She couldn't be with him and carry Fitz's child at the same time. It was all too much. Edison, Liv realized she still needed to talk to him, and the chances were, he was in he waiting room, which would make the fact that Fitz had been at her bedside for God knows how long, a little more than awkward. As it was, she wondered what her family thought. If the Doctor had figured it out, she was pretty sure her rather intuitive family had too. Before she could delve more into that thought her parents, little sister, Stephen, Cyrus and Fitz had re-entered.

"Not too long, she still needs her rest. We need to get her strong for surgery." Dr Manning reminded them as they all nodded. Olivia snuggled into her Mom's embrace as her Dad and little sister grabbed on to her hands. Stephen beamed with happiness as his hands rubbed her good leg.

"We're so glad you're okay honey." Her Dad said wiping his eyes,  
"Oh Daddy, I'm fine. Really. Pope through and through." She said proudly. They stayed with her for a little while before she let out a yawn.  
"We'll let you get some rest honey. The Doctor's right, you need to be strong for surgery." Her Mom said caressing her face.  
"I will, and so should all of you. Go home to my place. Get a few hours sleep. I'll be knocked out for the rest of the night. All of you go home." She said including Fitz in that equation. Her Mom, Dad, Ellie and Stephen left first, leaving Cyrus and Fitz.  
"You need to get back to the White House Fitz. I'm fine. You still have a country to run." Fitz was about to argue but knew she was right. He still had matters to attend to, one of which was to check on the progress of finding out who shot her.  
"I've set up a security detail for you. They're posted outside your door." Olivia looked at Cyrus,  
"He does realize that I wasn't the target right?" Cyrus smirked,  
"Great argument, you're so not going to win, but good try. Get some rest. I'll check back in later. I'm glad you're okay Kid. You scared me for a second there."  
"Aww, Cy deep down you love me don't you." She teased as he tried to brush her off.  
"Rest. I'll see you in a bit. Mr President, I'll wait for you outside." Cyrus gave Olivia's cheek a quick kiss and squeezed her hand before leaving.  
"You and I aren't done talking. I meant everything I said earlier. You and I are going to be together." Fitz said,  
"I know. Be at ease, I'm done fighting you. If you really want this, if you really want us, I'm not going to stand in your way."  
"It's about time," he mumbled under his breath,  
"Hey!"  
"Just teasing, bye Baby. You rest. I'm going to leave you my phone so you can call me and I can call you. It's a secure line." Olivia nodded. Fitz gave her a long and meaningful kiss before following Cyrus out of the hospital.

An hour later Olivia grinned as Stephen popped his head in holding out her worn out favorite stuffed animal form her childhood. She'd had him dry cleaned and stored in an air tight bag in her closet.

"Georgie!" she exclaimed excitedly reaching for the well loved monkey, faded and tattered.  
"Thought you could use the company."  
"Aren't you supposed to be resting too?" Olivia asked.  
"I will be, right here with you."  
"Thank you Stevie." She replied gratefully taking his hand before closing her eyes. Stephen threw his head back on the chair and tried to get as comfortable as possible and closed his eyes. It had been a long and exhausting night, followed by an even more tiresome day of waiting and worrying. For now she was stable, and that was enough for him to allow himself a couple of hours of snooze time.


	6. Chapter 6

"Are you out of your mind?" Mellie yelled as he walked into the residence.

"Don't Mellie." He warned. He was exhausted and a whole new day still awaited him. Not to mention his thoughts and his heart were with Liv and it was killing him to not be by her side.

"Someone just tried to kill you and you spend the whole night in an unsecured location."

"Let's not pretend you are actually concerned for my safety."

"How dare you?"

"Are you actually shocked? I love her Mellie. Where else was I going to be? If it were Simon where would you be?" He said naming the person she was involved with.

"Of course I know." He said answering the look of shock on her face.

"But unlike you I didn't make it my mission to hold it over your head to manipulate you. Believe it or not I do care about your happiness. So I am asking you to please drop it. It's been a tough night and I just want a few minutes to gather myself." Unable to say anything Mellie just nodded. As he walked out the door he paused for a moment,

"I know you're going to fight me on it which is why I'm going to bench it for now, but I want a divorce Mel. Consequences be damned you and I are much too young to be in a marriage for all the wrong reasons. Don't you want more than this? You and I may not get along a lot these days but you deserve more than a shell of a man pining for a chance to be with the love of his life. You deserve to be the love of someone's life." For the first time Mellie couldn't fight him, he was right.

It was barely six in the morning, and he wanted a shower and just go back to the hospital, but he was the president, and the whole world still needed him to function. He went to check on the kids. After he got back to the White House the night before they were pretty shook up, not just because someone had taken a shot at him, but because Olivia was hurt and they loved her. They almost broke his resolve to leave them behind and take them to the hospital with him. Especially Karen who idolized Olivia.

"Hey Daddy, is Liv okay?" Karen asked in a panic sitting up on her bed. She had been tossing and turning all night and had heard her Dad enter her room. Fitz bent down to kiss her on the forehead and sat on her bed.

"She's okay for now. The Doctors did a great job, and she's stable for now."

"Can I see her? Please Daddy?" she begged. She had been so scared that Olivia had died and she never got to say goodbye.

"I'll see what I can do okay? I'll check with the Doctors and we'll see."

"Thank you Daddy."

"Are you okay?" he asked tucking a loose curl behind her ear.

"Yeah, Gerry stayed with me till I fell asleep."

"He's a good big brother isn't he?"

"He's my favourite." She confessed with a small smile.

Gerry who was a couple of years older than Karen looked out, protected and doted on her, in return she thought he hung the moon and stars.

"I'm going to take a shower, how about you meet me in the kitchen in a half hour and we can have a breakfast date."

"Sure Daddy." She replied with a smile.

Fitz tried to spend as much time as he could with his kids. When he started running for president Mellie had insisted that boarding school was the only way they could have stability, as well as keep them safe while they were running for his presidency, therefore when they were around, he made sure that he did things with them. He and Gerry often jogged together, as much as he hated running, his fifteen year old son was a budding jock who loved to run, it was their time together. He and Karen had their Daddy and Daughter dates that ranged from watching a movie together, taking her shopping, mostly they read together. There was a half an hour in his evening that was non negotiable, and that was their reading time together, if he wasn't in the country, they did it through the phone. Olivia was one of the few, if not the only one in his political world that understood that and did everything in her power to ensure that he found that half hour for his daughter, and that time with his son whatever time of day she could manage to create for them.

After leaving Karen Fitz ducked his head into Gerry's room. Gerry was tying the laces of his running shoes.

"Hey Dad, Liv okay?" Gerry knew if anything had happened to Liv, it would have been in the news or at the very least their Mom would have told them.

"Yeah, she's stable for now but not quite out of the woods yet. She still has to have a couple of surgeries, the bullets did a lot of damage and she's lucky to be alive."

"She's unbelievably strong Dad, if there were anyone in this world who could survive the worst odds, it'd be Liv." Fitz chuckled,

"That's for sure."

"Can we see her?"

"Your sister's already beaten you to that question. I'll check in with the doctors and let you know. I'll see what I can do. I don't think your sister will be able to rest easy till she sees her."

"Like father like daughter," Gerry said teasingly. Gerry and Karen were both wise beyond their years, and Gerry though has never asked for a confirmation knew that something deeper lay between his father and ex Communications Director.

"Listen, I was going to wait till I could sit you and your sister down together, but now that I'm here. Ger, I've asked your Mom for a divorce. Not just because of Liv, though in large part it is because of that, but mostly I can't keep lying to myself, to your mother, or to you kids. I never thought I would ever find the love of my life, and I did. Despite how much we've tried to fight it, it's there and if I learned anything in the last twenty four hours, it's that each moment is precious and your mother deserves more than I have been giving her, and you two deserve more than two parents who barely tolerate each other's company."

"Wow, I can't say that I'm surprised. In all honesty I would have thought you would have done it years ago, and I have to confess that I know Simon isn't just some guy Mom knows from her events."

"Now that's a double wow." Fitz said letting out a breath,

"I'm really sorry Kid."

"I just want you both to be happy. Dad, is your presidency going to survive this?"

"Probably not, but I hope so. There's still so much I want to do, but we'll see. To me all that matters right now is you and your sister, and making sure that you're not caught in the scandal."

"We'll be okay Dad, Kare and I have our heads screwed on."

"And I have you to thank for her Ger, don't think I don't know what you do in my place so that she never questions who she is and what I have to do, and why I'm not around as much as I would like to be."

"It's what families are for, and you made me a promise. You said that if we'd had enough you'd drop out, and that has always been enough for me, and for Karen. We know that we're the most important in your life. You've never let us feel anything less than that. We're a team right?"

"Always."

"Then we can get through this."

While Gerry went on his morning run, Fitz took a quick shower before meeting Karen for their breakfast date. By the time he got downstairs she was already in the kitchen. She poured him a cup of coffee before sitting down beside him on the breakfast counter.

"What are you and Gerry up to today?" he asked.

"Seeing Liv?" she answered hopefully with a smile,

"Ah yes, Daddy's going to work on that. Till then, what's on the agenda?"

"Gerry has friends coming over to watch movies, he said I could tag along, but I don't really want to so I was just going to hang out and read in the rose garden for a bit."

"Do you want to hang out with me in the office today?" he asked sensing that she really didn't want to be alone. Fitz knew that Cyrus had a light day for him, with the exception of a meeting in the situation room to discuss the shooting and strategies in play. Fitz knew that Cyrus was trying to give him as much breathing room as he could.

"Can I?" she said hopefully.

"Of course sweetheart." He answered dropping a kiss on the side of her head,

"Thank you Daddy."

"Anytime." Karen rarely ever made a peep when she was in the oval office, she was usually reading in the corner or scribbling in a notebook as she worked on her next novel."

When Olivia was still his Communication Director and Karen was still small, and they were new in the White House she was scared of its enormity and often hid at the places she felt the safest in. One of which was underneath Olivia or Fitz's desk. These days, she was content to sit in one of the armchairs in the back, away from everything, just blending into the furniture.


	7. Chapter 7

Karen sat in the corner of Fitz's office quietly with her iPad as he went on about his day. When he had to go to the situation room to discuss the hunt for his shooter, Gerry had come just in time for Karen knowing that she wasn't quite up to being alone. Fitz promised to come and get them as soon as Liv was allowed visitors. If it had to be broad daylight for all the world to see, he didn't care. Karen was all out of sorts, so much like her father. He needed to reassure her as much as he needed to be reassured only the night before.

"Cyrus, make it happen. You saw Karen, she's not going to settle down till she knows Liv's okay."

"Let me check in with her Doctor to see if she's up for visitors and we can worry about the obvious a little later."

"Thank you Cy."

"Like father like daughter," Cyrus said to himself as he left the Oval Office to make the necessary phone calls.

Ellie was lying down on the bed with Olivia as they watched one of their all time favourite movies, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory on Liv's laptop that Huck had brought in for her. Ellie was extremely careful not to bump into her accidentally knowing that she was still quite fragile.

"I think he's handsome." Ellie said out of nowhere.

"Who Wonka?" Olivia said in disbelief,

"No you dork, I meant POTUS." Olivia chuckled,

"POTUS? That's it, you and Stephen need to lessen your exposure to each other. I don't want to know what else you've picked up from him in the last twenty four hours." Ellie giggled,

"Fine, Fitz. I think Fitz is handsome."

"Well he'll be pleased to know someone thinks he's handsome."

"Aside from you you mean." Ellie teased.

"Very funny!"

"He loves you Ollie. Like really loves you. He was a wreck when he arrived. He told the rents how much he loved you, that he's never loved anyone the way he loves you."

"Hey, no divulging my secrets!" Fitz exclaimed feigning shock and betrayal. Ellie laughed,

"Sorry, my loyalties were predetermined before birth. Hey Fitz!" She said jumping off the bed when she saw that he wasn't alone.

"Aww, it's my favorite first children ever." Olivia greeted cheerfully sensing that Karen was in a state of panic. She knew it would have been the only thing that would have swayed Cyrus to let them visit in broad daylight for the nation to witness. She couldn't wait to see how he was going to spin that to the general public.

"Hey Kare, do I get a hug?" Liv asked opening her arms out to her. Karen nodded relieved practically torpedoed to her bedside and screeching to a halt when she realised just how many machines Olivia was attached to.

"It's ok sweetheart, you won't hurt me." Olivia reassured her. Karen leaned into Olivia's open arms and clung to her as best she could.

"I'm so glad you're okay Liv. I was scared."

"I'm fine honey, and just between you and me I was a little scared too, but the Doctors have been great. I'm almost as good as new. Promise!"

"You don't make promises," Karen pointed out earning a chuckle from Fitz.

"I don't make promises I can't keep." She corrected giving Karen another meaningful squeeze.

"What Ger, too cool to give hugs these days?" Olivia teased.

"Never for you Liv." He answered leaning over to hug her hello.

"Good to hear buddy. Guys this is my little sister Ellie. Ellie this is Gerry and Karen." The three kids exchanged a somewhat shy wave and smile.

"Dad why don't I take the girls downstairs for some Ice Cream and give you guys some time to catch up." Gerry offered,

"That would be great. Thanks Ger." Fitz pulled his wallet out of his pocket,

"It's fine Dad, I've got this one. Come on munchkins, there's a double scoop in your immediate future."

"Take Hal with you. The press is swarming outside."

"Will do. See you guys in a bit."

"He's grown up so fast." Liv murmured somewhat proudly having seen him grow up the last few years.

"He's a great kid. I don't know what I would have done if I didn't have him. He's practically raised Karen on my behalf. She longs and wants for nothing because he's everything to her."

"He is who he is because of you. Of what you instill in him. Don't disqualify your input in their lives. Karen is Daddy's little girl through and you are only Daddy's girl if you don't doubt that Daddy will always be there. Those kids are grounded because you ground them. Despite the busyness of your campaign and having to send them off to boarding school they have never once questioned your love for them, and not everyone is lucky enough to have had that, so be proud Fitz and be proud of you because you are an integral part of what makes them who they are." Tears began to pool around his eyes. So much guilt lingered for the life that they've been subjected to as a result of his presidency, their lack of privacy and the endless restrictions they were faced simply because they were the presidents off springs. Olivia gave his hand a squeeze.

"So I see you're taking full advantage of Uncle Cyrus' heart strings. You know he would have seen right through that. Using your daughter to visit me in broad daylight."

"I wish I came up with the genius plan, but it just fell into place. Who was I to scoff at a gift that presented itself before me. In saying that Karen wasn't going to last another day without seeing you for herself. She had the worst case scenario playing in her mind over and over again and she just wanted to vanquish her demons."

"That's very Buffy of you." She teased. Fitz answered her by bringing his lips to hers.

"Hi," he whispered softly against her lips,

"Hi Baby." She replied leaning to kiss him once more, resting hand in his cheek. For the next fifteen minutes they made out like a bunch of teenagers. A soft knock on the door from Tom who stood on the other side told them that they had incoming. Fitz straightened himself out and sat on the chair beside Olivia seemingly flipping through one of the magazines on her bedside table when the kids walked in.

"Yeah right!" Gerry said with a smirk, low enough for the girls to miss it in their chatter but loud enough for Fitz and Olivia know that they were busted.

Karen and Ellie seemed to have hit it off. Actually both Grant children were both very taken with Ellie and vice versa and it was as though they'd all know each other forever.

As it was daylight they had to keep their visit short. Cyrus had played the 'Close family friend' card. He figured parading how close Olivia was to the Grant children would only help when everything hit the fan. It also worked in their favour that she had taken several bullets for the President.

"Daddy can Ellie come visit soon?" Karen asked her Dad just as they were leaving.

"Of course she can sweetheart. Ellie you are welcome in our home any time. You two can set up a date and we can check with her parents."

"Thanks." Ellie said looking forward to hanging out with Karen who she immediately connected with.

Just as they were leaving Edison arrived. Fitz tried to hide his surprise and tried to talk his jealousy off a ledge.

"Senator Davies,"

"Mr President." Olivia watched their exchange curiously, so little was said but there certainly was a conversation being had.

"Ah Liv I'll walk Fitz, Ger and Kare out. Be back soon. Hey Eddie!" Ellie greeted as she passed him.

Edison held out a hand to hi five her as she walked out. Ellie smiled and slapped his hand. When he had first come into her life she was still in grade school and having him around for most of her childhood made her have a soft spot for him always. If she didn't know just how much Fitz loved Olivia and vice versa she would have been batting for his team. There was a semi silence as they walked towards the back entrance. Ellie knew that Fitz's thoughts were on Olivia and whether or not she would change her mind. His gut knew better but a part of him always felt like she could slip away till he was free to completely love her. Ellie discreetly positioned herself beside him. Gerry who was also observing his dad realised that Ellie was working her way to talk to him and began to slow his walk so that Karen could fall into step with him giving Ellie some room with his Dad.

"Would it help if I said you have nothing to worry about?" She asked softly. Fitz broke out of his own thoughts to look at her and gave her a small smile.

"You have a really bad poker face Fitz, though I'm assuming your lack of poker face is only ever when my sister is involved."

"You could say that."

"She loves you. She's waited for so long for you. Eddie, as great as he is has never come close to breaking down those defenses you seem to just glide through. She picks Fitz she always picks. She picked you. Against all odds she picked you and is willing to endure what's coming for that chance. Don't discount that."

"I don't. Believe me I don't. I just know she deserves so much better and I keep waiting for her to realise that and that's what freaks me out."

"If she wanted to run, she would have. We both know that if Ollie wanted to drop from your life and disappear to be untraceable she could. Instead she opened a crisis management firm in your city. She can't be away from you anymore than you can be from her."

"Thanks Kid."

"I serve at the pleasure of the President." She joked giving his arm a light nudge with her shoulder.

"Nice! So your sisters sister!"

"Lucky you there's two of us to drive you nuts!"

"Challenge accepted."

"Sad for you we're a package deal."

"So you think I'm handsome huh?" Ellie rolled her eyes and dropped back a step to match Gerry and Karen's leaving him grinning at her triumphantly.


	8. Chapter 8

"Edison..." Liv began biting her lower lip. Fitz hadn't had the chance to speak to her about Edison and what had transpired between them. He also wanted to give Edison the opportunity to talk to her, plead his case should he want to. Edison walked over to her and took one of her hands in both of his,

"Hey Liv. You're looking better. You scared the crap out of all of us."

"I know, I'm sorry. Edison," she began uncertainly

"You love him, I get it." Olivia gasped, her eyes filled with tears of apology.

"Hey hey, it's okay. I mean it sucks for me, but you can't help who you love and I guess I must have wanted us so badly for me to not see that it's been him all along, because now that I've seen him with you, I don't know how I could have missed it. He has a really bad poker face when it comes to you." Olivia chuckled in agreement.

"I never meant to lead you on. I really wanted to give us a chance. Start a new life. A normal life. I thought if there was ever someone I could imagine the rest of my life with, it's you. I do love you Eddie, I just..."

"Love him more." He finished for her,

"I love him differently. I love him in a way that consumes me. My every thought leads back to him. When I close my eyes it's him I see. He's all I see. There's a need in me for him, and him for me. It's like I need him to breathe, and when he's not near me or a part of my life it's like I struggle with each breath that I take. I'm so sorry Eddie."

"If it's at all any comfort Liv, he feels exactly the same for you. I don't think that man drew breath the whole time you were in the operating room."

"I know, but it doesn't make our situation any easier."

"Liv, that man would walk away from his presidency for a glimmer of a chance to be with you, but as I said to him, he breaks your heart again, his security detail aside, I'll break his knees." Olivia smiled,

"I don't doubt for a moment you would and for that thank you."

"Liv, I am never going to not care about you and never love you. We've been through so much, so if you need me, you call, any time of day. Got it?" Olivia nodded and pulled him by the hand that held hers. Edison bent down and she took his face in her hands,

"I will always love you. I want you to be happy. You deserve to be happy." She looked at him in the eyes and kissed his forehead.

"You too Liv. You too." He replied as his voice cracked with emotion. He gave her one last hug before grabbing his coat to leave. At the door he stole one last glance as she lay there watching him. He gave her a small wave before walking out the door.

Ellie was waiting outside the intensive care unit wanting to give them sufficient time to say their goodbyes, because ultimately that's what was needed. As Edison came out she jumped to her feet,

"Hey big brother, you look like you need a hug." Edison smiled as taking her in his arms and hugging her tightly.

"You Pope girls take care of each other. You know that if you need me you can call me. Anytime, day or night. You hear?" He said softly in her ear and she trembled slightly in his arms.

"I've missed you kid."

"Me too." She murmured.

"Be happy Eddie." Edison nodded.

"Love you kid."

"Love you too big brother." Edison gave her one last meaningful squeeze before releasing her.

"Bye kid."

Ellie wordlessly entered Olivia's hospital room and just lay beside her looping an arm through hers, laying her head close to Olivia's. After awhile, Ellie finally spoke

"You okay Ollie?"

"Yeah Sweetheart, I'm fine. I know I will always love Edison. We were together for six years. There's so much history, not just mine but yours too, our whole family, but I know that I don't love him the way that I love Fitz. With Fitz, we just fit. Despite the complications, I know it's him. It's him I have to be with. Him I want to be with, regardless how much it scares me."

"Don't be scared Ollie, he loves you and wants you as much if not more than you him. He looked like he was ready to have a coronary when Eddie was standing by the door earlier."

"I'm sure you successfully talked him off his ledge." Ellie looked up at her sister in surprise,

"What? I know you Elliana Isabelle Pope." Ellie grinned,

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"I bet you don't."

Olivia had finally convinced Ellie to grab some dinner with her folks leaving her alone for at least a couple of hours. Before she left she reached over Olivia and pulled out Fitz's phone from the front drawer, kissed her cheek and grinned as she followed her parents out the door leaving Olivia rolling her eyes.

"Hi handsome. How was your day?" Fitz was grinning the moment his private line began to ring knowing it would be Olivia.

"Hey Beautiful. It just got better now that I've heard your voice."

"Cheesy!" she teased while inwardly pleased that he was missing her.

"I miss you."

"You just saw me earlier." She reminded him,

"For like five minutes," he protested.

"That whole running the country thing really is a kill buzz."

"Joke all you want. How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Sore as can be expected. Doctor Reed says if all is okay with tomorrow's tests, they can schedule my operation." She didn't miss the pause as he took a breath,

"Breathe Fitz. I'm okay. I'm going to be okay." She said trying to reassure him.

"I want to be with you right now." He confessed.

"Cyrus will love that." She replied dryly.

"I don't care." He sounded like a petulant child and he knew it.

"Let's try not to give Cyrus a heart attack more than once in a span of twenty four hours. You already won a battle today."

"Thank you Karen."

"How's she doing?"

"Much better after seeing you. I think she just wanted to see for herself that you were okay. We have that in common."

"I'm sure that would have gone down well with Mellie."

"Mellie has no say in it."

"Fitz…"

"Liv,"

"How is this going to work?" Fitz could hear the strain in her voice, the worry, the guilt, the tiredness.

"I've asked Mellie for a divorce. I've spoken to the kids. Gerry wasn't at all surprised, and neither was Karen. They just want me to be happy, and they know you make me happy. They know that you are the love of my life. They love you."

"Oh Fitz."

"Hey, don't cry sweetheart. Especially when I can't be there to hold you. I hate it when you cry."

"They're tears of relief if it makes you feel better."

"I told you we're going to make this work and we will. You still want us don't you?" Olivia knew what he was asking,

"Of course. You are the love of my life Fitzgerald Grant. I will always care about Edison, we've been through so much and I hate that I've hurt him because I wanted so badly to convince myself that I could get over you. That I was over you and that you had moved forward after letting me go. He didn't deserve that. I know you think that I've done nothing but push you away since you and Mellie showed up at my cabin door at Camp David, it's not because I love you less. I just,"

"I know Liv. We were in an impossible situation with no options. It hurt but I always knew deep down why you did it and I am so sorry I made it so difficult for you. I just didn't want to imagine life without you and I wanted to keep you however which way I could. I was selfish. You staying regardless how little I could offer you only showed how much you loved me, but nothing in the last few months has showed you how much I love you, and I am truly sorry Baby."

"It's okay. I know you love me. You wouldn't have been such an ass hat if you didn't." Fitz let out a small laugh,

"I guess ass hat is appropriate."

"It totally is. Hey, I need to talk to you about something. I wanted to do it in person, but it might be easier to do it this way. I don't know how you're going to be feel about it," Olivia stammered nervously as she fidgeted.

"Sweetheart, just say it."

"I'm pregnant."


	9. Chapter 9

"Uh Fitz, baby breathe." Olivia said after silence met the two word bomb she just dropped.

"We're going to have a baby?" he asked in wonder grinning widely.

"Yeah Baby,"

"Wow!" Liv smiled as she heard the excitement in his voice.

"So you're okay with this? I know it's bad timing and our situation is not ideal…"

"Hey, I am more than okay with this. Do you know how long I've wanted to get you pregnant?"

"Funny funny man Fitzgerald."

"I'm not kidding Liv. Our set up may not be ideal, but it's not going to stay like this forever. I love you. I love our little peanut already, and what a miracle they are after everything. We will be a family. You, Me, our little peanut, Gerry and Karen.

"You make it sound so simple."

"Because it is. You love me and I love you. We want to be together, we're adults, we can do this. Trust me."

"I do." She promised.

Not long after they finally got off the phone, Ellie and her parents had walked in with food and other treats for her. They saw that she was tired and had left early so that she could get some rest. The day's events had taken their toll and she fell straight to sleep after their departure.

Olivia awoke to arms wrapping themselves around her protectively. She smiled when the hand hovered over her stomach. Fitz had spooned himself behind her on the bed.

"Sneak out of your cage again I see." She teased cupping his face with her hand as she turned her head so that she could look up at him.

"I needed to see my girls." He said dropping a kiss to her nose. Olivia laughed,

"Convinced it's a girl?"

"Going with my gut."

"I'm so glad you came back," she murmured turning around so that she was facing him. Fitz tightened his already firm grip around her as she snuggled closer to him. Fitz could see that thoughts were flying around in her head and she was trying to make sense of it in there.

"Wanna bounce it off?" he offered.

"It's been a big few days. My mind is just catching up." She answered rubbing her nose on his shirt warming it up. She missed his smell. He took her face in his hands and kissed her lips softly. Olivia ran her fingers through his hair as she deepened their kiss. Moaning with pleasure Fitz's hand found themselves trailing underneath her hospital gown, senses heightened Olivia arched into his touch needing him as much as he needed her.

"We probably shouldn't do this here." Fitz said between kisses.

"Since when did you have location preferences? This from a man who took me on the Oval Office." She replied as she bit his earlobe which she knew drove him insane.

"I don't want to hurt you. You're still all bandaged up." He reasoned, his resolve fading fast as she managed to undo the buttons of his pants. She ran her fingers softly against him and felt him react immediately,

"Really, you want to stop right now?" she said tilting her head to the side, her fingers absently stroked him, Fitz groaned and took her in his mouth again, hungrily, desperately. Trying to be as gentle as possible, he hovered over her, kissing her neck and then her lips, he looked right into her eyes as he positioned himself to enter. Olivia lifted her head to kiss him, and as she did she felt him consume her and she let out a quiet groan burying her mouth into his shoulder to muffle the sound that came out of her.

"I love you Liv," Fitz said as he held her tightly,

"I love you too Fitz," she murmured.

Fitz always found it hard to say goodbye to Olivia, and that night was no exception. He had spent the last few hours with her content in his arms. He watched her sleep, and for the first time in a long time, he could see that she was at peace. Every so often he found himself just tightening his hold of her, he had come so close to losing her, and he couldn't imagine his life, if he had. It made him more determined to make sure that everything was settled so that they could move on with their lives together. That's what was most important to him and to his family.

When it was time to go he hated to wake her, but knew she would be more upset if he left without saying goodbye. He caressed her face coaxing her out of her sleep. Olivia stirred refusing to open her eyes and only hugged him harder, she knew what was coming.

"Sorry Baby, I have to go."

"Then go." She said not loosening her grip around him.

"Cute Liv," he said with a smile. Olivia sighed loudly and unwrapped herself from around him. The moment she did Fitz felt her absence immediately, not liking that feeling at all.

"I thought you had to go." Olivia said somewhat amused when his arms found themselves around her again. Fitz sighed cursing his life of presidency.

"Go, I'm not going anywhere. Go back to your people." She said reassuring him,

"You call me the moment you talk to the Doctor this morning."

"Of course. Now go before the press core starts to gather."

"I love you."

"Yeah yeah so you keep saying. Lucky for you the feeling is mutual."

"Bye Baby," he said kissing her goodbye before pulling the blanket up to her shoulders tucking her in.

"Bye." She replied with a yawn,

"Love you too."

Fitz who was surprisingly full of energy had arrived back at the residence just in time for Gerry's morning run and decided to join him after convincing Gerry to slow his pace.

"Not bad old man." Gerry said as Fitz kept up with him.

"Thank you I think."

"How's Liv?" Gerry asked knowing that his father had spent the rest of the night at the hospital after he had put Karen to bed and said his goodnight to him.

"Better. The doctor thinks she's well enough to sustain the surgery she needs to have."

"But you're worried."

"I always worry, but yes I am. After everything, we finally have a shot, and what if I lose her on that table." Fitz confessed, he not only ran the risk of losing her, but their baby as well. He already loved his little peanut.

"Dad, this is Liv who with the exception of you is the most stubborn person in the world."

"You're rather brave when she's not around." Fitz teased knowing Gerry would never call Olivia stubborn to her face.

"I may be silly, but I'm not stupid," Was Gerry's reply.

When they arrived back at the residence, both of them pounced on Karen to wake her up for breakfast. Fitz had thrown her over his shoulder and the three of them made their way down to the kitchen.

"Who wants what for breakfast?"

"Pancakes, your pancakes Daddy. " Karen demanded as he deposited her into one of the chairs at the breakfast bar.

"How about you sport?"

"Your pancakes sound good."

"Pancakes it is then. Jose, you can have the morning off."

"Thank you Mr President." Jose said excusing himself out of the kitchen to leave the Grant's to their own devices. Fitz liked to cook, and tried to make breakfast with the kids every Sunday therefore he was quite familiar with the White House kitchen. They were having a somewhat rowdy breakfast when Mellie came down to the kitchen.

"Hey Mel, you want some pancakes? I put some aside for you." Fitz asked.

"Daddy's pancakes on a week day, that's special. Sure thanks Fitz." Fitz nodded and took the pancakes he had put in the warmer for her out. The four of them ate breakfast in semi silence, when only moments before Mellie came the three of them were engaged in the beginnings of a food fight. It was not a surprise that Fitz was closer to his kids. From the moment Gerry was born, he was hands on. He was Daddy's pride and joy, and when Karen came along, she filled his heart in a different way and she was Daddy's girl through and through.

Fitz new that it wasn't entirely Mellie's fault that she felt estranged from her own children. Maternal instincts never came naturally and perhaps that was because her own mother had been cold. It didn't mean she didn't love their children, he knew she did, but she just didn't know how to relate to them.

"Dad, Kare and I will clean up if you want to head on up and get ready for your day." Gerry said looking at the time.

"Ah, you're right I should get going. Thanks Sport. I'm in the Oval all day today if anyone needs me." He ruffled Gerry's hair as he passed him and kissed the side of Karen's head before heading upstairs.

When Fitz got out of the shower and was getting dressed, he found Mellie on the chaise lounge waiting for him. She placed the divorce papers he had drawn up for them on the coffee table,

"I've signed them." Fitz stopped doing his tie and looked at her,

"Thank you." He said gratefully.

"You're right, we both deserve better than this. Listen Fitz, I'm pregnant." Knowing that it couldn't possibly be his, he walked over to her and sat on the coffee table and placed a hand on her hands that rested on her lap. While Liv's reaction to her pregnancy was fear, there was no doubt that she was happy, looking at Mellie, he knew it was the last thing she wanted and she was far from happy.

"What are you going to do Mel?"

"Simon wants to get married."

"What do you want?" he asked,

"I don't know. You and I both know we never had that 'can't eat, can't sleep, over the ball park' kind of love, we went along with it because, well it made sense, at least to our parents who'd been planning our marriage since we were born. Simon, I think I love him Fitz. Not the way you and Liv love each other, but closer than I ever felt possible or imagine."

"Then go for it."

"I don't want to be the one to tank you second term."

"Mel, I think I got that covered without you. You have made enough sacrifices for me and my presidency. Don't think for a moment I've forgotten that, or not appreciated it. I do. So if you have a chance at a happy ending, then go for it. You not only have my blessing, but my support. I'm happy to help any which way I can."

"Thank you Fitz."

"We need to talk to the kids."

By the time Fitz got to the Oval Office his private line was ringing, smiling to himself he jumped for the phone.

"Miss me already?"

"Always, but I just called to say thank you for my pancakes." Fitz had made a batch specifically for her and asked Tom to deliver it.

"You're welcome. I made it for the kids this morning and thought my girls could use it."

"You're so going to eat your words if peanut here turns out to be a boy."

"I don't care, as long as they're healthy.'


	10. Chapter 10

When Cyrus was nowhere to be found at noon Fitz smirked knowing where he would be. He knew that Cyrus wanted to spend some time with Liv and that he needed to convince himself that she was indeed okay.

"I think it's rather unfair that you are having a party without me." Fitz greeted upon hearing the festivities in the background. There was a whole lot of chatter, and music was playing softly. Olivia laughed,

"Hey, its not my fault you have a very demanding job." She replied.

"Nice Liv," he said pretending to be wounded.

"Oh my poor baby,"

"So I am currently missing a Chief of Staff, you wouldn't happen to know where he is would you?" he asked knowingly,

"Chief of Staff?" Olivia answered innocently giving Cyrus, who currently had a glass of red wine in his hand a quick wink,

"No none of those here, are you sure you're not missing a son, a daughter and a couple of secret service agents?"

"WHAT!" he exclaimed in disbelief under the impression they were at the residence hanging out and keeping each other entertained. It then made sense why he hadn't seen them since breakfast. Usually when they were home for the holidays they'd wander in his office throughout the day.

"Awww Liv!" Karen pouted, while Gerry merely snickered knowing his Dad would be more jealous than mad that they managed to sneak out to see Olivia without him.

"How envious are you right now Fitzgerald?" she teased.

"You're all grounded." Fitz said gruffly,

"Well if you're just going to ground us, I may just keep them here with me. I am wounded you know, and need constant round the clock care."

"Ouch, the wounded card so early in the game. Fine, just don't corrupt them anymore than they already are. Benedict Arnold's the lot of you. Here I am slaving away for the country and you not only party without me, you conspire against me."

"I'm sorry Baby, I promise to make it up to you."

"Yeah Yeah,"

"So how is your day going anyway?"

"Interesting actually which is why I called you, but it's not a conversation to have when you're surrounded by the masses."

"Is everything alright?" she asked lowering her voice so that no one else could hear her. Fitz heard the panic in her voice,

"Baby everything's okay. I promise. All systems go." He vowed.

"Okay, sorry I can't talk properly."

"That's okay, you needed the distraction and the festivities. Is the whole world in your room right now, because it certainly sounds it."

"No, but I do have the whole team here, Ellie, Karen, Gerry, Cy and James. My parents bowed out when it got too crowded. They've driven back home to close up the house properly and get more clothes, grab what they need to work from here, so that they can be around for the operation and after. Ellie is supposed to be staying with flew back home to sort work out but flying back for surgery, but she's wanting to stay with me,"

"Daddy, can Ellie sleepover?" Karen called out. Olivia smiled, knowing it was only a matter of time. In the last two days that the Grant kids and her sister had known each other, they had become thick as thieves.

"Hang on, let me put you on speaker." Olivia said to Fitz so he could address his daughter's request,

"Does Ellie want to sleepover?" Fitz asked first. Olivia looked at Ellie to ask the very same question,

"Come on El, it'd be fun. We can bake, watch movies, talk all night," Karen said enthusiastically, Ellie smiled and rolled her eyes,

"Sure, sounds like fun if it's not too much trouble." Ellie said politely. After all he was the president.

"Of course not. We would be happy to have you. Mellie has flown to California for the rest of the week for a couple of functions, so as long as Gerry doesn't mind keeping an eye out on you two we'd be happy to have you over till your parents come back."

"I don't mind. I'll be home slaving over an assignment anyway," Gerry who was sitting beside Olivia on her bed piped in.

"So it's settled then. I'll come home early so we can all have dinner together."

"Dad, why don't you come here for dinner so we can all eat together?" Gerry asked. Fitz grinned,

"Why don't you ask UNCLE CYRUS, to sort that out for me." Olivia giggled looking at Cyrus who just rolled his eyes,

"Fine, consider it handled." Cyrus said with a chuckle knowing Fitz had won that round.

"I'll sort it out when I get back to the office. We can pick up dinner before heading back here."

"Thank you Uncle Cyrus," Fitz said happily, looking forward to seeing Liv again and spending time with the people he loved most.

He also knew he needed to talk to both Liv and Cyrus about Mellie and to decide the best course of action. He didn't want Mellie to get the brunt end of it all, after all there were two of them in that failing marriage and he was equally to blame for its demise. Mellie worked so hard to get him to his presidency, and gave up a lot to get them there. He wanted to protect her as much as he could. At the same time, he didn't want to drag Olivia down with him. He may be ready to tell the world, but she had just as much to lose as him, and in some ways more.

Fitz and Mellie had sat the kids down before Mellie left to go to California to tell them about the divorce and her pregnancy. By the grace of God alone, his kids had taken it in stride. They already knew that Fitz had filed for divorce because he had spoken to them about it already. Neither Gerry nor Karen we're altogether surprised when Mellie confessed to them about her on going affair with Simon. They were however surprised about the baby as she had so very little to do with them. They knew that she loved them. She just didn't know them nor ever made an effort to know them. The reason they loved Olivia so much was because from the moment they met her, she was genuinely interested in them. She knew how to talk to them, and it was natural perhaps because she had Ellie. She cared about what they did, what they were into, and whatever was going on in their world, and it didn't change when she and Fitz got together, nor did it change when she finally said her goodbye. She was always accessible to them. She had been sending them care packages in boarding school at least once a month, with their favourite snacks, books, clothing, accessories, anything she saw that they might like. Along with her care packages that she sent, she sent them letters. Every month there would be three care packages, one for Gerry, one for Karen, and the other for Ellie who lived at home with their parents, and who she saw less than she'd like to because of her workload.

By the time Fitz and Cyrus came back with dinner, the only ones left in the hospital with Olivia was the three kids. Gerry was in a chair by the foot of Olivia's bed reading and making notes for his assignment. Ellie was laying on Olivia's left, while Karen was on her right, and the three of them managed to squeeze together comfortably to watch a movie on Olivia's laptop. It warmed Fitz's heart to see how comfortable they were in the set up. Karen and Ellie had their head on each of Olivia's shoulder. Gerry was slouched on his chair with a textbook and highlighter, his feet up on her bed.

"We come baring dinner."

"Yay, I'm starving." Gerry said jumping to his feet taking the numerous boxes of pizza from Tom, while Hal brought the rest of the food and drinks into the room.  
"Are we expecting an army?" Olivia asked looking at the amount of food they had brought. Fitz bent down to kiss her hello.  
"Ah, Gerry." He answered as though it explained it all.  
"James is coming to join us for a bit and then we're both off to some event for his family." Cyrus said with an eye roll.  
"Be nice Cy, they are your in-laws." Olivia said laughing.

After Cyrus and James had left for the evening the five of them were engaged in a pretty competitive game of Cranium. It was the three kids against Olivia and Fitz.

"Dad, that's cheating." Karen protested,  
"No it's not. Besides, there are two of us while there are three of you, and Liv is injured."  
"Fitzgerald you did not just throw me under a bus!" Olivia said in shock giving his shoulder a light slap. Fitz grinned and draped an arm around her shoulder kissing the side of her head.  
"Sorry Liv,"

After the kids had won fair and square, Fitz handed them money for ice cream and shooed them out of the hospital room. All three of them chuckled,  
"All you had to do was ask Dad, we could have vacated the room hours ago." Gerry teased.  
"Very funny! Take Hal," Fitz replied waving as they walked out,  
"Smooth Fitz!" Olivia observed amused.  
"Are you complaining?" he asked as she moulded into his arms.  
"Ah, no." resting her head against his chest. Fitz who had been sitting beside her on her bed since he had walked through the door, made himself comfortable tightening his hold on her.  
"So tell me about your interesting day."  
"You've been holding that in all day haven't you?" he said smiling down at her as she looked up at him.  
"Yeah well, you know how to keep a girl hanging." She grumbled. Fitz dropped a quick kiss on her forehead.  
"Mellie signed the divorce papers."  
"Wow!"  
"And there's more."  
"What?"  
"She's pregnant,"  
"Ah Wow…"  
"It's not mine." He quickly assured her as there was a flicker of worry that passed through her eyes. Olivia nodded, however brief it was, she felt a sting at the thought that it could have been his. Sensing this Fitz grabbed hold of her hands and intertwined them in his,  
"Hey," Olivia met his gaze and smiled,  
"I'm okay. How is Mellie taking the news?"  
"She's a little on the shocked side at the moment, but she says she loves Simon and wants to give them a chance."  
"Good for her." Liv stated.  
"We're thinking of announcing when she gets back from California."  
"How are you going to handle it?" she asked.  
"Well I wanted to talk to you about that. I don't want Mellie to take the fall for this. We were both at fault, but taking responsibility, also means involving you, which I don't have to. I guess I just wanted to get your thoughts. I don't want to be sneaking around with you Liv, the public will know soon enough. How did you want to handle us?"  
"I told you I was done fighting you about us. I'm all in. However which way you want to handle this, I will be standing by your side. We're in this together." Her words of reassurance was all he needed. He knew that as long as they were together, they could do anything.  
"So tell me what the Doctor said," Olivia sighed, she was trying to avoid the very conversation he was starting, and he knew it.  
"He thinks I'm strong enough for surgery, so he's booked me in for a the day after tomorrow."  
"But,"  
"No buts," she answered with a shrug,  
"Liv,"  
"Fitz, it's nothing."  
"It's not nothing when you're so determined not to tell me."  
"He's worried that the strain of the surgery and the pregnancy may be too much for me."  
"So,"  
"No Fitz, it's fine. We're not having that discussion. I'll be okay. Peanut will be okay."  
"Liv…"  
"No Fitz, she's ours I'm not going to let anything happen to her. We've waited so long for her, no. It's not up for discussion." She said shaking her head, her whole body trembled against him,  
"Hey hey. I get it Liv, I do. But I don't want to lose you."  
"You won't. We'll both be okay." She insisted. Fitz could tell that she was only getting more and more upset.  
"Sweetheart, it's okay. Shh, it's okay." He said trying to reassure her. He made a mental note to speak to the doctor to get a clearer picture of what his main concerns were. What the dangers were, could he really lose her. Could he lose either of them, and did it really have to be a choice. In Olivia's heart and mind, there was no choice to make. Their child came first.

When the kids came back Olivia was half asleep in Fitz's arms,

"We should head home. We still need to get Ellie settled in." Fitz said dropping his lips to her head giving her a brief squeeze. Olivia nodded and sat up,

"Have fun Kiddo." She said hugging Ellie goodbye,  
"Kar and Ger will take good care of you."  
"I know. I'll see you tomorrow."  
"Bye Liv, we'll see you tomorrow." Karen and Gerry said giving her a hug goodbye.  
"Bye Baby," Fitz said kissing her forehead as his hand rested comfortably on her stomach.  
"Love you." He said softly against her lips before giving her a brief kiss,  
"Love you," she replied looking at him right in the eye, giving his hand a reassuring squeeze knowing he was in panic mode about what could happen.  
"Call you later." Olivia nodded and gave the kids one last wave as they left her room.


	11. Chapter 11

Fitz had waited till he got the children settled before making his way down to his study to make a call. He had offered Ellie her own room but she and Karen had opted to slumber party in Karen's room.

"Dr Manning, this is Fitzgerald Grant. I am so sorry to call you so late."

"Of course Mr. President, how can I help you?'

"I was just hoping you could go through Olivia's surgery with me. The risks, well everything," He could hear the Doctor hesitate,

"Please!" Fitz didn't know it but Olivia had made him her medical contact, to make the decisions for her if she was unable to for herself. She had also preempted that he would call and had given her permission for him to disclose everything they had discussed.

As the Doctor went through what needed to be done in surgery, Fitz grew tenser by the second, realizing just how involved the surgery was going to be. He understood the concerns that the Doctor had, and what the strain of the surgery and having their little Peanut to sustain would have on her body.

"Could I lose her?" he could barely breathed out the question,

"We would do everything in our power to make sure we don't, but in any surgery, there are risks."

"She will never choose herself over our child," Fitz told the Doctor somewhat unnecessarily.

"I know,"

"I get it, I do. I just,"

"Mr. President, if there is anything I have learned about Olivia Pope, it's that she is as stubborn as they come. She knows she has a lot to live for and if there is one thing that she would fight for, it's your child, and you of course."

Fitz sat in his office for a little while trying to be okay with what he just heard before he called Olivia knowing the moment she heard his voice, she would know that he knew. His thoughts were interrupted by a soft knock on his office door.

"Hi," Ellie said ducking her head in,

"Come on in Ellie."

"Liv's on the phone for you," she said handing him her cell phone before slipping out of his office.

"Hi Baby, I was just about to call you." Olivia knew without a doubt that he would have called her Doctor the first chance he got and knew he would be worried.

"Fitz," she said softly,

"I don't want to lose you Liv,"

"You won't. I promise."

"You don't make promises," he reminded her.

"Then that should tell you that you have nothing to worry about. I know it sounds grim, but you and I have been through hairier things than this. Our little peanut is a fighter, against all odds she survived the first surgery and all the other injuries."

"What if something happens to you?" he said scared.

"Then you will raise our son or daughter and be the amazing father that you are."

"Liv,"

"I know I'm being unfair, but Fitz he or she is our child, and I will do everything in my power to protect them, to make sure that they are okay. Even if,"

"I get it Liv, I do." He said stopping her from completing her sentence, unable to hear it.

Olivia's surgery was scheduled a couple of days later. Fitz tried to be with her as much as he could but his responsibilities kept him in the Oval limiting them to phone conversations and text messages. His kids however were with her every day, Cyrus had long since stopped his disapproval knowing that it probably wouldn't hurt them in the long run.

"Fitz, it's not a big deal. Please don't stress about it." Olivia said trying to placate him,

"Liv, you're going into surgery tomorrow. I haven't seen you in days. I don't know if I can even get out of here to see you before your surgery, how is that not a big deal." He said outraged, frustrated beyond belief.

"It's not a big deal because you'll be here when I wake up." She said trying to reassure him.

On the morning of Olivia's surgery, they were just about to roll her in when Fitz came into her room.

"Hey handsome." She greeted affectionately as he rushed to her side planting a kiss on her forehead.

"Hi Baby, sorry I'm late."

"One of these days that excuse of you running a nation is going to get old." She teased.

"I know right. How are you feeling?"

"Pretty good. I told you, you don't need to worry about me, about us." She added softly taking his face in her hands."

"Never going to happen. I'll be here when you wake up." He promised.

"It's okay if you get called away." She said,

"I'll see you when you get out." Fitz replied rolling his eyes.

Fitz sat between Ellie and Karen as they waited. Olivia's parents, as well as her whole team, James and Stephen were there too. Between them they had over taken the waiting lounge, but with Fitz's presence the whole wing of Liv's floor had been closed off. Cyrus had been there to send her off with his love before she went into surgery but headed back to the White House and hold the fort in Fitz absence. He was answering emails via his blackberry and had taken a few calls in a secure room.

"Uh Fitz," Ellie said trying to get his attention,

"Yeah sweetheart," he replied his gaze following where she was pointing. He gasped as he saw the headlines 'PRESIDENT GRANT and OLIVIA POPE AFFAIR'. Standing to his feet he called Cyrus, throwing an apologetic glance at Olivia's parents.


	12. Chapter 12

Fitz was staring at the TV as it flashed several images of him and Liv, some dating back to their campaign days. A part of him was glad that Olivia was in surgery and that she had no idea what was unfolding before his very eyes.

"CYRUS!"

"I just saw. They're camped out outside the hospital. There's no getting out of there unseen even if you wanted to leave."

Stephen, Harrison, Abby, Huck, and Quinn exchanged a look and a nod before standing to their feet.

"Mr President, let us help you." Abby said.

"It's the least we can do for Liv." Huck added while the rest of the gladiators nodded.

"Cy, I'm going to work with Liv's team. Keep me posted on what's going on there. I'm happy to walk on out there and tell them the truth Cy. I won't hide her like she's some dirty little secret. She's the love of my life." Stephen took that as his cue and started delegating, taking lead. They were going to ensure that Liv doesn't go down in a scandal. She was their priority. In a way it made the waiting less hard, keeping busy, doing something for her.

"We'll set up in the conference room next door. Huck, Quinn and Abby grab what you can and what you need from the office. Harrison and I will get started here." Stephen turned back to Fitz,

"Mr President we'll need to sit down with you to work out your next move should be. We'll fix this." He promised. Fitz nodded and turned back to Olivia's family, and to his children.

"I am so sorry." He apologized knowing that it could potentially get ugly. Michael Pope rose from where he sat and crossed over to where Fitz was,

"Son, I know how much you love my daughter and at times like these when her life hangs in a balance, that's all that matters. You have our support. Whatever you need." Fitz nodded and placed a hand over the one that Michael had on his shoulder and thanked him. Karen and Gerry stood close by,

"We stand together Dad whatever happens." Gerry reminded him. Fitz hugged them both gratefully.

"Fitz, when you go out there, with Gerry and Karen, I want to stand with you too. If Liv can't be there, I want to be there, for her and for you." Ellie said coming from behind Gerry,

"Are you sure Kiddo?" he asked looking at her and to her parents who gave him their support.

"Yes, if Liv could she'd be standing beside you, and if she can't. I will. Whether it be me, Mom or Dad, you'll have a Pope standing out there with you." Fitz's eyes filled with tears, overwhelmed by the love and support that was poured out in that room. He drew Ellie into a hug,

"I would be proud to have you stand beside me. I know for a fact that your sister would be so incredibly proud of you too."

Stephen, Harrison, and Fitz sat in the conference room and went through scenarios. He knew he was going to stand out there and announce to the world that he loved Olivia, what they were working out was how to do it.

Huck was trying to find out who had leaked the information from Pope Headquarters. Abby and Quinn returned with viable suspects to go through with Stephen and Fitz. In the end it didn't really matter who leaked it, it was out there, and they just had to deal with it the best way the can, but knowing who leaked it would determine how much they had and what they wanted out of potentially destroying the President and Olivia.

There were updates on Olivia's condition every hour, and they knew she was fighting with all she had in there but it was a struggle. There was so much damage from the bullets that repairing it was time consuming and dangerous, especially with the baby to consider. For the meantime both mother and child were holding on. It certainly helped that their little peanut had passed his/her first trimester, but both were far from the woods, therefore Fitz could barely keep his interest on the impending explosion of a scandal. He didn't care about the American people at the point his head and his heart were with Olivia and their child.

As Fitz sat there worriedly, waiting to make a statement Karen sat on his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck and leaning her head against his.

"She'll be okay Daddy. Livvy's stronger than anyone I know."

"I know Princess, I know." He replied softly hugging her tightly. Gerry draped an arm around Ellie who had grown incredibly quiet since the last update. Ellie looked up at him and gave him a small smile.

"I'm okay," she said trying to reassure him. Gerry grinned,

"You remind me so much of your sister. That's such a typical Liv response." Ellie laughed and elbowed him playfully. He had adopted her as another little sister so willingly and lovingly that it felt like she's always had him.

To Mellie's credit she had flown straight from wherever she was to be at his side when he made his announcement. They were going to stand as a united front. They owed each other that much. She knew with her pregnancy, things were only bound to get worse, and if they stood together from get go, it kept their family in tact, and that's all that really mattered to either of them.

The Gladiators had set up the press conference at the hospital. There was no way of getting out undetected and it worked in their favour that they were all already there. It showed that his children truly loved and cared for Olivia.

With Karen and Gerry on either side, Mellie close behind and Ellie beside Gerry Fitz stepped up to the makeshift podium.

"As you are now aware I am romantically involved with Olivia Carolyn Pope. She is the love of my life. Mellie and I have filed for divorce and have decided to go our separate ways. It is an amicable and mutual decision that we have discussed with our children. My relationship with Ms Pope was not planned, and it was something we tried to ignore, but moments like these, when we realize that life is too short that you make decisions for now. I will not go into the details of our relationship, as you can understand that there are some things that are privy only to our family. I am asking the American public to accept my apology. It was not my intention to mislead you or keep this from you, that this announcement did not come out before those photos did. It was always our intention to speak out once Ms Pope was out of the woods. Her health comes first at this point, and our families focus has been on her. Mellie and I are parting in a better place than we've been in a really long time. I will always care about her, and our children will always come first. She has my full support, as I have hers. I realize you will question my position as President and rightfully so, but I am here to serve you to the very best of my ability, as I have been the last two and a half years. Who I am as a President is rooted from those I love. My children, Olivia, Mellie, and my closest counsels such as Cyrus, from way back in the beginning to today. They are my strong foundation, and without each of them I would not be here today. If you ask me to step down, I am happy to do so. If this is my last term, I will serve it with the same passion and tenacity as I have these last couple of years. If you give me the chance, I would like to prove to you that the Grant administration still has so much more to offer, that there are plans and agendas under way to ensure that this country, this nation is not only great, but become even greater. Our work is far from over."

For the next half an hour Fitz and Mellie fielded and answered questions, working together, side by side to ensure that the legacy of the Grant Administration remains in tact. Gerry and Karen spoke up in the defense of their parents, and in support of their decision. They had expressed their love and respect for Olivia. When they had questioned who Ellie was, Fitz proudly introduced her as Olivia's little sister who was standing in place of her sister who could not be there. Gerry and Karen had taken a side each and stood beside Ellie in support. It was hard to miss the mutual affection between the Grant children and Ellie Pope. The three of them had become thick as thieves, there for each other ready for whatever storm that was to come their way.

When it was over, they had all collapsed exhaustedly in the waiting room. Eunice and Michael hugged their youngest daughter proudly for how she carried herself in front of the press. Both Michael and Eunice had thanked Fitz for what he said and for the way he loved their daughter.

They were all distracted and lost in their own thoughts when the doctor emerged from the double doors. They all looked up and stood to their feet in anticipation.


	13. Chapter 13

As the Doctor approached them Fitz knew that something wasn't right. Doctor Manning sadly met his eye in silent confirmation Fitz struggled to breathe and leaned against the nearest seat as he began to address them.

"As you know Olivia's injuries were extensive and though it was a risk to operate so soon, it was also equally risky not to have operated. We were able to repair the damages but the trauma of the surgery was too much and she slipped into a coma. We're hopeful that the coma is her body's way of regenerating and healing and that she'll wake up, but I can't give you a time frame on when she'll wake up. Infections aside there is a good chance she will wake up and return to complete health, but at this point we can only wait and see." Ellie burst into tears at the thought that Liv was never going to wake. Gerry who was closest to her draped an arm around her to comfort her before she walked into her mother's arms and wept.

"And the baby?" Fitz asked, as the whole room gasped. With the exception of Fitz only Ellie and her parents knew that she was with child.

"Is holding on. Just like their mother, they're a fighter." Fitz nodded and took a minute to gather himself together. Doctor Manning gave his shoulder a reassuring pat before leaving. Fitz took Karen in his arms and hugged her as she shook against him, Gerry nearby rubbing her back. The gladiators huddled in the corner comforting each other as did the Pope's. Fitz met Cyrus' eye and tried to project some comfort and reassurance to him too knowing that he was struggling with the news. Fitz dropped a kiss on Karen and Gerry's head.

"She'll be okay. It's Liv." He said trying to reassure them and himself. Fitz heart broke at the sight of Ellie who was inconsolable as her father held her in his arms. For moment she looked much younger than what she was sitting on Michael's lap, face buried in his chest as her Mom held her hands trying to soothe her. Fitz walked over to her and crouched down in front of her and took placed a hand on her cheek,

"Sweetheart, she's going to be fine. Your sister is not only the strongest person I know but she is also the most stubborn person in the world. She would never leave you. She loves you way too much to miss you growing up." Ellie looked at up him and saw that behind his reassurance, he too was scared. She leaned over and wrapped her arms around his neck,

"She'd never leave you either." She whispered in his ear.

"She loves you too." As she pulled back to look at him, she squeezed his hand.

"Thank you Sweetheart." He said dropping a kiss on her head before standing to his feet.

With Liv still in post op, all that was left for them to do was go back to Operation Damage Control. The gladiators headed back to the conference room they had taken over. Mellie after making sure that the Fitz and the children were okay headed back to California. Cyrus had refused to go back to the White House till he saw Liv. James had come straight to the hospital after he found out about Liv's condition to be there for Cyrus.

Stephen and Cyrus kept a close eye on Fitz's polls, but with Liv's life hanging in the balance, no one really cared about the numbers, least of all Fitz who was trying his best to hold it together. He was sitting in the waiting room with each child on either side of him, leaning against him, as though they were keeping him upright, which they were in more ways than one. He knew that they were going to make an announcement about her condition, and he would need to be the one to do it, but he just couldn't. Not until he had seen her.

His life without Liv threatened to flash before him and he did everything in his power to block those images, but he was losing the battle as he was plagued with regrets. Why had he waited so long to divorce Mellie? Why had he not fought for her harder? Why hadn't he camped out in her apartment after she left her resignation on his desk after his State of the Union address? It wasn't because he didn't love her. It was because he was scared. He loved her so much that he wasn't sure if he would ever be enough. She held him in such a high pedestal that he didn't want to ever fall short of the greatness she saw beyond who he truly was. No one had ever believed in him the way she had. Even after Amanda, she still believed in him. She believed in him because she loved him, and though it always made him angry that it was her that was always pushing him away, he realized it was because she loved him enough to release him for what he was destined to do. She loved him more than he deserved. The thought of being with Amanda made him stick to his stomach. He shot up to his feet and ran to the bathroom. When he emerged Cyrus was standing outside waiting for him. Cyrus read Fitz like a book. Between he and Liv Fitzgerald Thomas the Third was an open book. From the moment that Cyrus had found out about his relationship with Olivia he had wondered how he had missed it because if there was one thing that Fitz had no control over, it was how he felt about, and around Olivia. It was any wonder that no one else had caught on, because if Fitzgerald Thomas the Third had a weak spot, it was Olivia Pope. Cyrus pulled out a clean hanker chief from his jacket pocket and handed it to Fitz. The look of devastation in Fitz's eyes tug at his heartstrings, he had never seen someone look so lost before.

"Fitz, she'll be okay. She's Liv. You said so yourself, she's the most stubborn person on the world. She has way too much to live for. Especially now with your child that she's carrying, she'll fight. If nothing else, she'll fight to make sure that child is born."

"What if I lose her as a result Cy?" Fitz asked frightened at the thought.

"There's no way she'd miss that adventure Fitz. She's waited far too long to just miss it."

"I made her wait so long Cy. What if we don't get the chance?" Cyrus placed a hand on his shoulder.

"She would never have let you do it any other way. You know Liv. Nothing mattered more to her than you being the best you can be and changing the world as you did it. She was willing to give up her own happiness, the love of her life to see you reach your dreams. Don't you get it? Her dream was you. It has always been you. In her heart she believed you would get your chance to be together. She counted on it. She waited for it. She fell in love with all of you, the whole package. She wasn't naïve Fitz. She knew what she was walking into, and she walked into it, because it was worth it, because anything less would have been settling."

"Guys, she's just been brought back to her room." Stephen said coming out o grab them. Fitz and Cyrus nodded and headed towards him. Stephen grabbed his arm as he passed,

"Cyrus is right. She would never have let you do it any other way. She knew you loved her. She's always known." Fitz looked at him gratefully and thanked him.

They took turns visiting with Olivia and making their presence known in hopes that she would open her eyes. With the exception of when Fitz was sitting with Olivia, Ellie refused to leave her side. Watching her closely, squeezing her hand every so often as though trying to coax her out comatose state.

"Fitz you're going to need to give an update about her condition." Cyrus said gently after Fitz had some time with Olivia. Fitz nodded, it would have been easy to just let Cyrus do it, but he knew the impact and the significance if it were him who made the announcement. Fitz stood up and bent down to kiss her.

"I'll be right back Baby."

Fitz made his way back to the room where they had made his previous announcement. Just as he reached the door Karen slipped a hand through his. He looked down at their intertwined hands and dropped his lips to her head and smiled at Gerry who stood on the other side of her. Ellie stepped in on his other side and took his free hand giving it a squeeze. Knowing how reluctant she was to leave Olivia's side made him appreciate the gesture even more.

"Thank you sweetheart." He said draping an arm around her giving her a meaningful squeeze. He took a deep breath as the four of them hand in hand faced the press. With his loving support system, he was able to give the briefing of her condition without breaking down completely. As much as he didn't want to leave Olivia, he knew he would have to return to the White House and resume running the country. Just as he was about to return to her room Harrison called him into the conference room where Cyrus was already waiting for him. He saw Huck sitting in the corner with his laptop.

"Sir, Huck managed to trace who leaked the pictures."

"Who was it?"

"Mr President, it was Amanda Tanner's brother. It seemed he recovered the footage from Amanda's computer. He's been in Afghanistan for a few years and recently got back. He wasn't able to return for her funeral. He picked up her personal effects from storage as his parents were never able to do it and in going through her hard drive he found the photos that Billy had compiled and intended to release." Huck explained. Fitz sat down. He couldn't bring himself to get mad. At the end of the day, he wronged Amanda and her brother was only acting out of love and protectiveness.

"Thank you, for finding out who it was. What I did was wrong, as right as it felt to me and to Liv, it wasn't right. But the heart wants what it wants, and all my heart wants is Liv. She was strong enough to walk away and her walking away led me to do something that I am not proud of, and hurt Amanda along the way. She may have been a pawn in Billy's games but I should have known better. I should have been stronger and said no. I take my responsibility in the part I played in her death however big or little it may be. I can't blame her brother for his actions. I'm willing to stand by how I feel about Liv no matter what the consequence. I'm ready to own it come what may."

Cyrus stood proudly as he watched Fitz leave the conference room to make his way to Olivia's bedside. Ellie rose from where she lay next to Liv on the bed as he entered the room to give him some time with her. She, Gerry and Karen left the room to join the others in the waiting room.

"Hey Baby, I have to get back to the White House for a bit, but I will be back as soon as I can. No more hiding. Now before you get mad, and if you getting mad would wake you I'm happy to do so, but we've been outed. The whole world now knows about us." Fitz paused,

"Well it was worth a shot. Anyway, it's been handled. You'd be proud to know that Cyrus is holding up well despite it. Actually he's been amazing. He loves you Liv. I have to say as handy as it would be to have your skills as a fixer at this point, I am a little glad that you're spared the scandal and the whirlwind. In saying that, it's not an excuse for you to just stay asleep. I need you to wake up Liv. I need you. Please wake up." He begged. With nothing but the sound of the machine beeping around them, his plea was met with silence.

"It's rare that you ever let me get a word in, I don't think I care for it at all. Rest up my sweet baby. I'll be back as soon as I can. I love you!"


	14. Chapter 14

Against everyone's counsel Fitz was back in the hospital that night after putting his kids to bed. There would be no sleeping till Olivia was awake and if he was going to be up all night he would rather it be in her hospital room.

The announcement of their divorce and the unveiling of his relationship with Olivia had taken hits on his polls as expected. What he didn't expect was the support he received from many Americans in his love and devotion to Olivia. It was undeniable that Olivia wasn't his mistress, but the love of his life. He spoke of her so passionately, with such rawness that it left little room to condemn his feelings. After all he was almost divorced. In the end the question was whether or not he was a great president and he was. For the meantime it seemed that was what was important to the American people.

Their family solidarity was something that was new to the public and a welcomed breath of fresh air. Knowing that the Grant kids gave their full support to their father and his choices changed the dynamics. For the first time the people were able to see that he was a family man. That the bond between him and his two children were strong and non artificial.

After he had left earlier that day Karen and Gerry had stayed at the hospital standing in vigil with the rest of Olivia's family. In only a few short hours the Popes and the Grants had become one unit.

"Hi Baby. Sorry it took me so long to get back. I had dinner with the kids and spent some time with them before they went to bed. You'll see them tomorrow. They insist on being here with you and with Ellie. You should see how bonded those three have become. Gerry officially has two little sisters now. The three of them have established their very own mutual admiration society. It's cute." Fitz took his jacket and shoes off and carefully climbed up on the bed to lay beside her careful not to bump her wounds. He took her hand in his and turned his body so that he was facing her.

"I love you Liv, and I'll be right here when you wake up. So feel free and open your eyes soon okay?"

Olivia stirred in the middle of the night and forgot for a moment where she was. She smiled as her eyes fell on Fitz beside her. One arm carefully draped around her middle, while his hand was intertwined with hers. He looked so peaceful she didn't want to wake him. As though he sensed her Fitz opened his eyes and grinned when he found her staring at him.

"I'm sorry sir, who are you and what are you doing in my bed." Olivia inquired with a straight face. Fitz's face filled with panic till he saw her break into a grin.

"So not cool Liv!" He protested trying to calm his racing heart.

"You gotta admit it was a little funny." She teased playfully kissing his cheek.

"Ah no. Not when I've been worried sick that you weren't going to wake up."

"I'm sorry baby. For what it's worth you were the very person I wanted to see when I opened my eyes."

"Right back at you. How are you feeling?" He asked caressing her cheek lovingly.

"Sore. Is peanut okay?" She asked worriedly.

"Just like his or her mommy they're a fighter. They held on."

"Good. I'm so glad. I was so worried about them."

"Let me get the doctor." He said getting up. Olivia tightened her grip on his hand,

"Not yet. I just want to lay here with you for a bit. One minute?"

"Of course." Fitz replied dropping a kiss on her lips and then her forehead before snuggling closer to her.

"Fitz..."

"Yeah Baby?"

"Did I hear you say we were outted to the American public?" Fitz looked up at her and smiled.

"Uh yeah. It's a long story. It's been handled though. No need to worry." Olivia cocked her head to the side,

"Who are you talking to right now?"

"It was worth a shot. Seriously Livvy it's fine. Your team has been working closely with Cyrus and its under control. Mellie and I announced our divorce. The kids stood with us during the announcement and your little sister. Liv, she stood in your place every time I needed to make an announcement. She stood on the other side of me as the kids stood on the other. You'd be so proud of her." Olivia smiled,

"Good. I'm glad you didn't have to do that on your own. So how badly did it hit your polls?" She asked ever the fixer.

"As expected but you'd be surprised at how much support we are getting in general. I think that's mostly because of the kids. All three of them." He confessed.

"So no pitchforks in our future?" She asked with a small smile.

"No pitchforks."

"Is Cyrus okay?" Fitz chuckled.

"Surprisingly yes. He has been too worried about you. We all have been."

"Babe, I'm fine. I promise."

"Shall we get the doctor for a more official reassurance?"

"You wound me." She said in a mock hurt tone making him laugh.

"I'm sorry but after almost losing you more than once I'd like a more expert advise than your attempt to placate me."

"Sure sure." Fitz reluctantly left her side to call for the doctor.

While Olivia was getting a once over Fitz had called her parents, Cyrus and Stephen to let them know that she was awake and looking forward to seeing them the following morning. She and Fitz were laying side while he filled her in on what she had missed when her phone began to vibrate beside her. Olivia grinned as she read the caller ID.

"And what are you doing up at this hour young lady? I seem to recall your bedtime was hours ago."

"Ollie you're awake." Ellie breathed in relief

"I am sweetheart. I told you I'd be okay."

"I know. I guess I just got scared."

"Well there's no need to be scared anymore. I'm fine sweet girl. Get some rest and I will see you in the morning."

"Okay, I love you Ollie."

"I love you too monkey face." Olivia handed Fitz the phone so he could put it on the bedside table.

"So what now?" She asked. With their relationship out in the open there was no more hiding. As worried as she was about his presidency she knew that she had the best people working on it


End file.
